Meekness

Lately I have been curious about the word meek.  I decided to do some research of the word for my mission prep class and there is so much more to the word meek then we might think!  The virtue of meekness is so vital that Moroni warns, “none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart.” (Moroni 7:43-44)  The lord knows us so well, that he knows that in order for us to be truly happy, we need to be meek.  When we are truly meek, we are less easily offended and we are less likely to give offense to others.  When we are meek, we have less concern over being taken for granted and more concern over being taken by the hand. That to me, is an incredible solution to happiness! Meekness is more than self-restraint; it is exhibiting “kindness and gentleness, reflecting certitude, strength, serenity, and a healthy self-esteem and self-control.”  

“When we are truly meek, we are not concerned with being pushed around, but are grateful to be pushed along.  When we are truly meek, we do not engage in shoulder-shrugging acceptance but in shoulder-squaring, in order that we might better bear the burdens of life and of our fellow beings.”   The Savior said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matt 5:5)  A meek person is teachable.  Those who are willing to listen can learn a lot.  Those who are unwilling to listen deny themselves great blessings.  He recognizes that he is dependant on God and wants to submit to God’s will.  He recognizes the great value of other people.  

In my exploration of teaching class today, we read the first chapter in the book called, "Bonds That Make Us Free."  I was immediately captivated when I read the first couple of pages.  This book answers why we get so caught up in ourselves and why we are so ready to take offense at what others do?  You don't hear about this topic very often, because I think people really don't want to admit that they are having agitated feelings or are unhappy.  It gives me comfort in knowing that every one has those feelings.  Sometimes when I get frustrated with people, I think it's them that need to change, but I have got to realize that it is actually me that needs to change.  "The feelings that we blame on others, and that seem to ruin everything, rudely refuse to be evicted once they take up residence in us."  Frustration can contaminate every project we undertake.  It is difficult to overestimate the corrosive power of agitated feelings.  "Those times when we feel most miserable, offended, or angry are invariably the occasions when we're also most absorbed in ourselves and most anxious or suspicious, or fearful, or in some other way concerned about ourselves."  This is ironic that we learned about this today, since I just wrote a paper on meekness in mission prep.  I learned that meekness is a christ-like attribute that is essential for those who want to stay on the path of righteousness.  If we are meek, then we do not get offended by others or take offense.  If we are meek, then we do not get agitated easily because we are not absorbed in ourselves.  Instead, we are thinking of others and loving our neighbors as God sees them instead of as objects.

 

I guess it all comes down to what we want.  Do we want happiness or do we want to be miserable?  We can be happy by simply not letting ourselves get frustrated.  We can be happy by developing our relationships with others and focusing on the now.  We can be happy by not focusing so much on ourselves.  It all comes down to what Christ would do.

Sorry for rambling, but I learned so much this week!